Brenda Lawrence

Mrs. LAWRENCE

Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, I want to take this moment to thank everyone who spoke tonight. I want everyone to know that women are making so many strides. We are currently on target to send women to the Moon. We are on target to make sure that women continue to be leaders in education and healthcare. I am proud to say that not only do we have a woman as our Vice President, but we also have a woman as our amazing Speaker of the House. We have six chairs of our congressional committees headed by women. We also have over, as I said, 194 women in Congress currently. With Women's History Month, sometimes the men will roll their eyes in the back of their head and say: Women, why do you need a month? Because, so often, the strides and hard work that it took for us to accomplish what was given to privileged men are often overlooked. I am proud to stand here today to lead this Special Order hour to honor the women, as Congresswoman Wild said, the ones who often don't get a platform, don't get a mic, and they just do the work every day. Women are the predominant group of educators. If you are educated in America, you were probably touched by a woman. Those who are in hospitals and went through COVID and all the suffering, the caregivers and nurses are predominantly women. We all owe a debt of gratitude to the mother who gave birth to us. We are often in the kitchens and other places that women are such strong leaders, but now we have women in the C suites. We have women manufacturing and designing. We have women in every area of America working. The only thing that any woman wants is the opportunity to have a seat at the table to be able to show her brilliance. As my grandmother told me, never apologize for your hard work, your brilliance, or your skills and talents that you have been blessed with. You use them, and you do a good thing with them. And as John Lewis said, get in good trouble. The suffragists taught us that the good trouble they went through gave us the right to vote in America. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. LAWRENCE

Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, the scale of our relief bill must match the scale of this crisis, and the American Rescue Plan meets this moment. In addition, this comprehensive plan includes much-needed relief for our battered cities. As a former mayor, I understand the struggle and strain of our cities right now. Congress cannot sit back as our mayors, Democrats and Republicans, are calling for help. This is not a Democrat or Republican issue. This pandemic is reaching every corner of our country. Mr. Speaker, let's answer this call and pass the American Rescue Plan.

Mrs. LAWRENCE

Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of a legend and the conscience of this Congress, a civil rights hero and a dear friend, the late Representative John Lewis. I stand here today also to give honor to the facilitator for this hour, and that is Sheila Jackson Lee; and also to honor the current chair of the Black Caucus because we in the Black Caucus remind ourselves that we are the conscience of Congress. We could never forget that with John Lewis and his guidance because the pictures that you saw displayed by Terri Sewell are the things that when we looked at John Lewis, we have flashbacks of the sacrifices he made so that we could enjoy the freedoms that we have. Yesterday marked the 56th anniversary of Bloody Sunday, the first of which was commemorated without John standing there welcoming all of us. Although he is not with us, his life serves as a blueprint of how we can make this country a better place. Every single day John was committed to justice, equality, and a little bit of good trouble. We must carry on this legacy by working to restore the Voting Rights Act. I remember one time being challenged by John. He said, ``Why do you think they worked so hard? Why do you think they worked so hard to take away your right to vote?'' He said that we have to stand up, and we can't allow that freedom and the right in our democracy to vote. We passed the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act once before. And I stand with my colleague, Terri Sewell. We will pass it again. In honor of John's memory and the hundreds of civil rights activists who were beaten on the Edmund Pettus Bridge and the countless others who have fought for voting rights, we must pass this bill again. As John famously said, ``Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get into good trouble.'' He reminded us that that good trouble was necessary trouble for the rights and freedoms of Americans--all Americans. While we say we miss John, he has not left because of the memories, the blood he shed, the example he led, and his constant voice in our ears to never, ever give up. I stand here today to honor him.

Mrs. LAWRENCE

Mrs. LAWRENCE. Madam Speaker, unfortunately, on March 2, 2021, my vote was not recorded on the second vote of the second vote series (Roll Call No. 55 on H.R. 1). Had my vote been recorded, I would have voted: ``Yes'' on the Democratic En Bloc 3 Offered by Ms. Lofgren (Gallego Amendment, Grijalva Amendment No. 23, Grijalva Amendment No. 24, Langevin Amendment, Lawrence Amendment No. 26, Lawrence Amendment No. 27, Levin (MI) Amendment, Luria Amendment, Manning Amendment, Phillips Amendment, Plaskett Amendment No. 33, Plaskett Amendment No. 34, Plaskett Amendment No. 35, Plaskett Amendment No. 36, Schneider Amendment).

Mrs. LAWRENCE

Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my amendments, 26 and 27, to H.R. 1. The Postal Service has been an essential service for the American people for centuries, written into our Constitution. And as we take steps to expand voting by mail, we must ensure that the Postal Service is not weaponized to restrict its mission to promptly and effectively deliver mail. My first amendment would require the Postal Service to appoint an election mail coordinator to assist election officials. My second amendment would prohibit the Postal Service from enacting any new operational change that would restrict the prompt delivery of mail materials 4 months before the election; specifically, targeting removal of the collection boxes and sorting boxes. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support these amendments as part of this en bloc.

Mrs. LAWRENCE

Mrs. LAWRENCE. Madam Speaker, on Wednesday, the 6th, Democrats and Republicans hid on the floor, put on gas masks, and were ushered out of this room. We, in this country, cannot begin healing and unity without accountability and justice. The President of the United States incited a violent insurrection against Congress--you, me--and the Vice President of the United States. This cannot be ignored. Impeach now.

Mrs. LAWRENCE

Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairwoman for yielding me the time. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 8015. This is essential legislation to offset the dangerous actions taken by the Postmaster General over the last 2 months. We are here today, in addition to that, to fund the Postal Service. For more than two centuries, the United States Postal Service has delivered mail to every house in America across this country--every single home. It is the only Federal organization that touches every American every single day, 6 days a week, confirming that it is an essential government service. Today, the current administration and the new Postmaster General seem to struggle to understand that the Postal Service is an essential government service authorized by the Constitution. It is not a business to fund the bottom line. In just the first 2 months of his tenure, without having any postal experience, this Postmaster General has threatened and has taken actions to undermine decades of precedence within the Postal Service. Today, Congress must act. As my chairwoman said, that is why we are here. We must act. The Delivering for America Act does just that. Along with providing the Postal Service with a desperately needed $25 billion to offset revenue that has been forgone due to COVID-19, it also--and this is something that is very important--this legislation prohibits the Postmaster General from making any operational changes that will undermine the Postal Service's ability to fulfill its mission. Its mission is to deliver the mail. Rain, sleet, snow, gloom of night, the Postal Service will deliver the mail. Mr. Speaker, we have a Postmaster General who has come inside and tried to rip it apart from the inside. We will say: Cease and desist. In addition to us having the goal of the Postal Service to deliver the mail, our democracy is hinging upon them doing that basic job. Mr. Speaker, I stand here today to say that the money was asked for by the Board of Governors--which, by the way, is appointed by the President, and which, by the way, are all Republicans who asked for that money to be appropriated. The Postmaster General approved and said he needed that money as well. Mr. Speaker, I thank the Speaker for bringing this critical legislation to the floor. I thank the chairwoman for including the language that will prohibit the enactment of any rule or standard or policy with the intent to delay the mail from our government. We have a real responsibility here today. There is not a Member on either side of the aisle who has not received a letter from our constituents. Let's do our job.

Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, I claim the time in opposition to the motion.

Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, obviously, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle are not aware that fraud is a Federal--voter fraud is a crime. We have already established and funded the United States Postal Inspection Service. Little do they know, whenever an employee is in a postal facility, there are internal galleys in every facility where you are observed for 24 hours a day by postal inspectors. Mr. Speaker, I am very comfortable that we will adhere to those laws. We have clerks who have sworn duties to protect elections. But let me tell you, Mr. Speaker, 3 months ago this House passed the HEROES Act, and I ask my colleagues to open their mail because we sent them a letter that will protect the Postal Service. We sent them a letter saying that we need to send funding to the States and local governments so they will not defund the police departments. If you want to know who is defunding the police department, the lack of a movement in the Senate to send that necessary money to cities who must balance their budget. And the only way they can balance their budget is to cut because they don't have the funding that has been taken away from them because of COVID. So you have the responsibility, Mr. Speaker, the Republicans have on their hands the defunding of our police department. I wanted, too, to be very clear that we have heard repeatedly that the Democrats had manufactured a crisis at the expense of this President, and that the emergency funding is ``an unnecessary bailout plan.'' We do not need to help the current President to create a crisis. We have seen every single day statements from the White House about what we are doing and what we should not do with the Postal Service. I want everyone here to know that every postal employee takes an oath that they will adhere to the Constitution, that they will serve and protect. The majority of the postal workers are veterans who have served in the military, who continue their service in the Postal Service. I want it to be very clear that this election that is being held hostage right now by the Postal Service's internal decisions to tear it apart, where you have over 600,000 employees reporting to work who want to uphold their oath of office. I want to say today, Mr. Speaker, that the Postal Service motto is neither rain, snow, heat or gloom of night you will not deter these carriers from their mission. And we are standing here today saying, no. Return to sender this unnecessary MTR. That we, as Democrats, we are putting forth this bill to ensure that we are not in that place where we are going to try to deter the Postal Service from doing their job. Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to wake up, to understand that this is not a Democrat or Republican issue, because the ballots that are going to be moving through the Postal Service, some of them may even go to them, they better protect the Postal Service. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mrs. LAWRENCE

Mrs. LAWRENCE. Madam Speaker, I stand here today in support of women. I stand here today condemning the words of, unfortunately, a colleague of mine. I want to reflect on history. The first African-American woman was elected in 1968, the first Hispanic woman in 1989. Madam Speaker, we are here to stay. This year is the 100th year that women have had the right to vote. For far too long, women and people of color have been subjected to being mistreated, humiliated, and trying desperately with words to minimize us. Women of color have traditionally been excluded from the Halls of Congress, but I am here today saying, in a Congress where we have the largest number of diversity in women in the history of this Congress, our diversity is our strength and our unity is our power. We will see, today, speakers coming to this mike. Yes, we are standing up because of the words of one Member, but I am standing here today after generations of assault, generations of abuse, and I stand here proud, as a survivor. Our constituents expect leadership, not schoolyard bullying, from their elected colleagues. Almost 100 years after the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution and now, at a time when this body is the most diverse it has ever been, this is the time we should be celebrating each other, thanking God that we have opportunities to serve with legends like John Lewis; but, instead, we are trying to roll back the clock with behavior that is unacceptable. I am the little Black girl from the east side of Detroit who was raised by a woman who is the grandchild of an emancipated slave. I am not scared of you. I will call you out. I demand respect, and I will respect you.

Mrs. LAWRENCE

Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, just this year, I remember John urging Americans to ``get in good trouble, necessary trouble, and help redeem the soul of America,'' as we combat some of the most hateful messages and priorities driven by this current administration. Today, I stand here and, John, I promise that I will continue to carry out your legacy, to get into good trouble and to ensure that the fight for equality and justice lives on, and to challenge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to do the same and pass the Voting Rights Act. John, rest in peace. Rest in power. You have been a good and faithful servant.

Mrs. LAWRENCE

Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Chair, today, I am so hopeful after the vote for the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act, I can now look at those little children, those little Black girls and boys when they say, ``Am I safe?'' ``Does anyone care about my future?'' Mr. Speaker, I am so proud that this was a bipartisan bill. I strongly encourage the Senate to come to the table and let's continue to do our job and ensure that the future of America is one that is inclusive: that is one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Mrs. LAWRENCE

Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today because I have heard the cries and the screams from the street ``Black lives matter.'' Mr. Speaker, as a Black woman elected to Congress, I feel the generations of my people calling on our government time and time again for decades and decades to enact transformational legislation, to finally have a law on the books to stop police assaults on Black lives. Sadly, as a country we can no longer use the excuse of being blind to racism. We can no longer use the excuse of being deaf to the cries of justice, for justice in this country, or the arrogance of White privilege. Our country, our people, the citizens of this country are calling on us to come together and to join America and vote for this bill, the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act now. Mr. Speaker, in our country, we pledge one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. It is time to act now.

Mrs. LAWRENCE

Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of the HEROES Act. This bold relief package recognizes the commitment to our Postal Service, providing critical emergency funding for the fiscal solvency of the Postal Service, to ensure we fulfill our democratic duties to be counted in the 2020 Census and vote in the upcoming primary. It also demonstrates that we will stay committed to our local governments to have the resources that they have lost during this pandemic. Mr. Speaker, this investment is for our families, for our communities, and for our country.

Mrs. LAWRENCE

Mrs. LAWRENCE. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the latest COVID-19 relief package. In my State of Michigan, the numbers are devastating. There are more than 33,000 confirmed cases. I want to add another number today: over 2,800 deaths. I just got a phone call that another dear friend of mine has passed. Nearly 1.2 million people have filed for unemployment. That is why I am back here today. We, however, have a lot more work to do. The package is not perfect. More work must be done to provide assistance to our States and our local governments, to ensure the continuous operation of the Postal Service, where there is a statement that neither snow nor rain nor gloom of night should stay the completion of mail delivery. The COVID virus is devastating the Postal Service. I want you to know that the $484 billion measure will provide desperately needed financial support. I stand here today with my heart broken in support of this bill.

Mrs. LAWRENCE

Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the CARES Act. At this time, our country needs this Congress to act with a bipartisan commitment to ensuring the safety and the well-being of our constituents. Although this package is not perfect, we must support our postal workers. We must ensure our municipalities have the funding to survive. But it will immediately provide workers, families, health professionals, and first responders the resources that they need. Today, we can provide a direct cash infusion into our economy, and we will provide more than $170 billion in support to purchase the needed PPEs and give our hospitals grants to offset revenue losses. However, our work is not done. As confirmed cases in Michigan and across the country continue to rise, I will work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to address the outstanding issues. And I want to say: God bless America, and we need to do our work.

Mrs. LAWRENCE

Mrs. LAWRENCE. Madam Speaker, unfortunately, on March 9, 2020, I was not able to cast my votes during the vote series due to personal engagements in the district. Had I been in attendance, I would have voted: YES on H. Res. 410--Encouraging reunions of divided Korean- American Families, as amended (Rep. Bass--Foreign Affairs); and YES on H.R. 1771--Divided Families Reunification Act, as amended (Rep. Meng-- Foreign Affairs).

Mrs. LAWRENCE

Mrs. LAWRENCE. Mr. Speaker, unfortunately, on March 5, 2020, I was not able to cast my votes during the vote series due to a family emergency. Had I been in attendance, I would have voted: 1. YES on Amendment No. 7, Cisneros (D-CA)--Requires the Secretary of Homeland Security to prioritize the hiring of veterans and related preference eligible individuals, including disabled veterans and widows or widowers of veterans, for positions within the Transportation Security Administration; 2. YES on Amendment No. 9, Mucarsel-Powell (D-FL) [on behalf of Schrier (D-WA)]--Would ensure the Administrator of TSA in coordination with the Director of CDC and NIAID shall ensure that TSA employees are provided the proper guidance regarding prevention and protections against coronavirus, including guidance and resources; 3. NO on Republican Motion to Recommit; and 4. YES on Final Passage of H.R. 1140--Rights for Transportation Security Officers Act of 2020. personal explanation

Mrs. LAWRENCE

Mrs. LAWRENCE. Madam Speaker, unfortunately, on February 26, 2020, I was not able to cast my votes during the vote series due to an illness. Had I been in attendance, I would have voted: YES on H.R. 35--Emmett Till Antilynching Act, as amended (Rep. Rush--Judiciary); YES on H.R. 4852--GIVE Act (Rep. Torres--Veterans' Affairs); and YES on H.R. 2490-- To amend the National Trails System Act to direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study on the feasibility of designating the Chief Standing Bear National Historic Trail, and for other purposes (Rep. Fortenberry--Natural Resources). personal explanation

Mrs. LAWRENCE

Mrs. LAWRENCE. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.J. Res. 79, which removes the deadline for the ratification of the equal rights amendment. A woman's rights must be guaranteed by our government. This bill is about the Members of Congress ensuring that the rights and equality for women are a part of our Constitution. It is sad to watch those who lose their way because they will find any way to distract from the issue of equality. The Members on the other side are trying to interject abortion into this, but I want to say that even though we have come so far as women--there are a record number of women lawmakers here in this House--we have so far to go, and this corrects that injustice and recognizes equality for women under the law. As the great Shirley Chisholm, the first African American woman in Congress, stated: ``The time is clearly now to put this House on record for the fullest expression of that equality of opportunity which our Founding Fathers professed. They professed it, but they did not assure it to their daughters, as they tried to do for their sons.'' The time is clearly now to put this House on record for the fullest expression of that equality of opportunity which our Founding Fathers possessed. They possessed it, but they did not assure it. We try as they tried to do for their sons. Madam Speaker, I encourage support of this bill.

Mrs. LAWRENCE

Mrs. LAWRENCE. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that when the House adjourns today, it adjourn to meet at 11 a.m. tomorrow.

Mrs. LAWRENCE

Mrs. LAWRENCE. Madam Speaker, today, I stand here proud to say that I was one who cast my vote for the passage of ERA in America. I also rise today to recognize a woman who was so very instrumental to the State of Michigan and its fight for civil rights, Miss Daisy Elliott. Miss Elliott was only 1 of 11 women elected to the Michigan Constitutional Convention in 1961. She was key in ensuring that our State's constitution established the Michigan Civil Rights Commission, with the authority to investigate charges of discrimination based on race, religion, color, or national origin. Daisy served in the Michigan Legislature for nearly 20 years as an effective and influential voice of equality and introduced more than 80 bills that were enacted, including the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act. Daisy Elliott was a fierce advocate for workers, senior citizens, and people of color. Today, in honor of Black History Month, I salute and honor Miss Daisy Elliott. Madam Speaker, I honor her legacy.

Mrs. LAWRENCE

Mrs. LAWRENCE. Madam Speaker, it is with great excitement today that I stand in strong support of the bill to establish the women's museum in the Smithsonian chain of museums in our country. I want to share a story with you, Madam Speaker. When I walked through the doors of the Smithsonian African American Museum, someone asked me: How do you feel? I said, I feel like this country has finally recognized the contributions and who I am in this country. We have not been able to make that commitment to women. When we all walk into museums in this great country, it is a reflection for the generations to come of the struggles and the accomplishments that different cultures and populations have had on this great country. I stand here today because of the women before me who have struggled and fought. I stand on their shoulders. I want to be a woman of whom the girls behind me will be able to say: Because of her, I can be. This is a vote for our children, the girls who are coming after, and the little boys who need to learn and respect the history of women in this great country. I stand in support, and I ask all my colleagues to please support this. This is a step that we, as women, must not let go of. I want to recognize my colleague, Chairwoman Maloney, who has never given up on this. Madam Speaker, as women, we know we have to work twice as hard, but we get the job done. Vote on this museum.

Mrs. LAWRENCE

Mrs. LAWRENCE. Madam Chair, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mrs. LAWRENCE. Madam Chair, I thank Chairman Scott and the committee for working so hard to bring this historic legislation to the floor. As Members may know, my district, which includes the city of Detroit, was built on the backs of unions and standing up for worker rights. Thanks to our unions, our communities receive respectful benefits, fair pay, and great representation. However--this comes as no surprise--this administration has weakened workers' rights and labor authority. The PRO Act and my amendment look to shed some light on these recent attacks by strengthening workers' rights to a free and fair union representation election. My amendment accomplishes this by preventing unnecessary delays between the filing of a petition and the holding of an election. When such delays ensue, this gives employers the opportunity to launch antiunion campaigns designed to erode union support. Madam Chair, we need to protect workers' rights to a timely election, not dismiss it. My amendment does just that, as it looks to eliminate an unnecessary delay relating to union elections recently imposed by the NLRB. This amendment addresses the mandatory 20-day wait period between the filing of the petition and holding the election. There has been no justification for establishing this wait period. In 2014, under the Obama administration, the NLRB updated its union election processes by enacting reasonable deadlines and preventing employers from stalling elections through frivolous litigation. The PRO Act codifies many of these requirements, including the timelines for pre- and post-election hearings. One of the most notable changes in the 2014 election rule was that once the NLRB regional director concludes that an election should happen, the regional director must schedule the election for the earliest date practicable. The NLRB changed this by requiring regional directors to impose a random 20-day waiting period. My amendment eliminates this arbitrary waiting period and returns to the requirement that an election shall be scheduled as soon as practicable, unless extraordinary circumstances apply. Workers who request a union representation election should not be impeded in their right to vote with frivolous delays. Democracy in the workplace should be a right, not a fight. Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.